A Second Chance
by expressj
Summary: The Pevensies are given a second chance at returning to Narnia. Adventure, mystery, love and a new threat await them. Set Post Prince Caspian/ Pre Dawn Treader.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi everyone, and welcome to 'A Second Chance.' I hope you enjoy. Please review!**

The young woman's heels clattered loudly on the cold grey floors of the station. She didn't have a moment to stop and apologise to the several people she had bumped as she had hastened to get off the train. She did not have time for being polite. Susan was very late for a very important meeting.

As she flicked her long, dark hair back over her shoulder, she took a moment to glance at her watch with an annoyed look. If only her mother hadn't been so observant as she was leaving the house to notice she wasn't wearing any makeup!

'Proper young ladies must present themselves in a manner which would please their Majesties, if they were to meet them on the street', she had mused, before huffing at the audible sigh her daughter had uttered. Mrs Pevensie had then continued on her most recent rant, insisting her eldest daughter accompany her to America in the summer. The speech had lasted several minutes, and had made Susan late for her favourite part of the week- lunch in the city with her older brother, Peter.

It had been six months since they had left their true home. Six months since they had walked through the magical hole in the tree. Six months of cold, grey England, and harsh unending reality. The four children seemed to have separated into two groups. Upon their return, Lucy and Edmund had maintained the hope that they would soon return to Narnia, and had launched themselves back into everyday life, blissfully aware that they could at any moment be whisked away to paradise.

Susan and Peter were the opposite. Aslan himself had decreed that they were no longer needed in Narnia, and that their time there was over. There had been a conversation between the two older children after the return to England, hidden away in the bomb shelter at the back of their Finchley home, full of Susan's tears and Peter's clenched jaw, where they promised each other that they would never forget, never stop believing, and be happy for their siblings when they heard of their adventures.

But this was more difficult than Susan had ever imagined. She would never forget, but believing was getting harder and harder. She always had his face in her mind, though. She wondered if he had changed. If he had grown his hair, or a beard, or even married. Time moved differently in Narnia, of course. He was probably even dead.

Caspian. His name lingered in her mind, and she again imagined him whispering it to her as he introduced himself. Susan shook her head to rid her mind of the thoughts. She took a few deep breaths as she walked briskly up the stairs and along the street to the café where she was to meet her brother.

Peter's blue eyes scanned the small room once again as he sipped his tea. He couldn't help it. Even six months later his mind was still in battle mode; always watching, always waiting for the enemy to strike. Not that there were any enemies in this small café.

Peter glanced at his watch again. Susan was late. He frowned slightly, imagining why. He hoped nothing had happened to her. As this thought left his mind, the bell at the door tinkled slightly as his sister entered. Every week they met she looked older, he mused. And more helpless. He stood quickly to hug her, and they took their seats.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late, Peter. Mum caught me on the way out." Susan grimaced. Peter knew that his mother had been trying to coerce his sister into traveling to America with her and their father. He did not want Susan to go. He had a feeling that if she left, she would really be gone.

"Is anything she says sinking in yet?" he asked, forcing a smile.

Susan rolled her eyes. "Still wants me to go to America, still wants me to dress better, fix my hair and makeup.."She sighed. "The problem is, I don't have you there as a buffer anymore."

Three months ago, Peter had escaped to the countryside, to stay with Professor Kirke at his manor. The Professor had taken a liking to the Pevensie children, and had convinced Peter to utilise his exorbant library in preparation for his university entry exams. Miserable as he was, Peter jumped at the chance to get out of the city. Ever since the Golden Age, he longed for green grass and fresh air. The Professor was an odd man, but he was a kindred spirit, and believed all of the children's stories in the past. When he had first arrived, Peter had shared the families latest Narnian adventure, which ended with a fit of anger on Peter's behalf when he began to question Aslan's decision.

Professor Kirke had sat patiently and listened carefully. He did not flinch when Peter kicked his chair across the room. He simply leant forward, looking down his nose, and told Peter he was going to help.

"Peter?"

Peter glanced up at his sister, realising he had been staring into space. "Sorry?"

Susan raised her eyebrows. "I was asking how the study has been this week."

"Alright."

"Just alright?"

"Studying is studying."

"Peter.."

"Susan."

The pair looked at eachother sadly. They both wanted nothing more then to reminisce, to talk about those days, the adventures they had had. But it hurt too much. So just like always, they changed the subject.

"How's Ed and Lucy?" Peter asked. Susan sipped her tea slowly before answering.

"They're still furious that they have to go stay at the Scrubb house from next week. They don't understand how much packing Mum has to do, and how having them home is more of a hindrance than anything."

"They must not be very happy with us."

Susan smiled sadly. "They understand we need to keep busy I think. Lucy just came and hugged me for about five minutes the other day." Her eyes filled with tears. "She doesn't understand."

Peter reached for his sisters hand. "How could they? We can't blame them."

They sat in silence for a moment before Peter cleared his throat and stood up. "Right, come on. Lets go for a walk. We don't have long before I have to meet the Professor to head back."

Susan stood gracefully, pushing her chair under the table. "He came into town?" she asked as they stepped out into the cold air.

Peter glanced both ways before he led the way across the street towards a nearby park. "He said he had an old friend to meet, and he would meet me later to head back together."

The pair followed an old cobbled path through the park. The trees, although the weather was crisp, were covered in flowers. Somehow, compared to the colours of Narnia, English trees seemed dull and unappealing. The pair wandered for a short while, making small talk, before heading back towards the train station. After waiting for half an hour, Peter glanced at his sister.

"Su, why don't you just go? Who knows what he's-' A loud horn tooted from across the street, where a car sat with the elderly Professor waving in the front seat.

"Peter! Susan! Come quickly now!" he called. The siblings looked at eachother before crossing the street.

"You must get in, the both of you." The Professor gasped. Peter shook his head, looking at his sister.

"I'm sorry Professor, but Susan must catch her train.." Susan smiled politely.

The Professor smiled. "Oh, I rather think you will want to come back to the manor with us, Miss Pevensie. I have discovered something, you see."

Susan smiled politely, before saying "I really am sorry, Professor, but Peter is right. I must get home. Mum is waiting, and I must make Edmund and Lucy dinner before-"

The Professor chuckled before climbing out of the car, and holding the door open.

"My dear children, I am afraid I must insist. I need assistance with a small matter." Peter frowned, staring at the Professor incredulously before the old man continued, "You see, its just a small matter indeed. It seems an entire wood has appeared at the back of one of my wardrobes."

 **I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: Hi again, chapter 2 for you! Please review!**

The light in the small, dusty spare room was different. A room once filled with shadows and mystery now seemed like a brightly lit beacon of hope. The afternoon sun beamed in through the stain glass windows, throwing impressions of bright colours along the old floorboards. The entire room seemed to be filled with the majestic, rich reddish brown wood of the Wardrobe, its carvings seeming to move with the shadows cast from the trees outside. The eldest Pevensie children stood in the doorway of the room, drinking in the sight. The Wardrobe seemed to be beckoning them, calling them home. But they were hesitant. They had been told by Aslan himself that they would no longer be able to enter Narnia, and they were hesitant to go against his will.

"Well, go on then!" the Professor appeared behind them, pushing them slightly into the room.

"But we were told that we couldn't.." Susan mused, glancing worriedly at her older brother. Peter looked down at her, his jaw clenched.

"Susan," he said, "What if this is Aslan telling us we are needed?"

She bit her lip. "But why wouldn't we just be 'sucked in' like last time? Why open the Wardrobe?"

The Professor cleared his throat, and stepped into the room behind them. "This was exactly my question," he mused, "And why I travelled into town to visit my old friend Polly Plumber. She and I have discussed it at length, and believe that Aslan is giving you a choice."

The Pevensies looked at the Professor incredulously. "A choice?" Peter asked.

The Professor wandered over to the Wardrobe, running his hands over the carvings with a sigh. "Polly and I believe that Aslan is still teaching you a lesson, even here in England. He is letting you decide whether to hold onto hope, and believe that anything could happen, or to forget, and move on with your lives here."

Susan looked to her feet. A choice! To stay in England, and settle into her life as a giggling young socialite, or to go back to Narnia for a short while and experience the pain and loss of having it ripped away from her, yet again? She looked at Peter. "We must do this together." If they made the decision as a team, they could suffer together.

Peter met his sisters gaze, and strode to the Wardrobe. He turned the key, and opened the door, peering inside. The back of the wardrobe was filled with the same musty fur coats from years ago, blocking his view of what could be a huge forest, or simply the wooden panel at the back of the Wardrobe. His heart beat fast as he turned to his sister.

"Let's go."

Susan took a deep breath. She wasn't sure what she had expected from Peter. The logical part of her brain was screaming at her to run back down the stairs and back home to Finchley to cook her siblings dinner…Edmund and Lucy! How could they have forgotten!

"What about Ed and Lucy?" she whispered. Peter looked crestfallen for a moment.

"They're going back. This is our last chance Su."

Susan felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up into the wrinkled and bespectacled eyes of the Professor. "Go, my child." He whispered. Susan let out the breath she did not know she had been holding, and stepped forward towards the Wardrobe.

"To Narnia." She smiled, and stepped into the mass of fur. Peter reached out for her shoulders, and together they stumbled forward towards the back of the Wardrobe, tripping slightly. A small part of Susans mind was waiting for the hard surface to appear infront of her, to write everything off as a joke, and return her to harsh reality.

They heard the click of the door closing behind them, and both paused to look back into the darkness.

"No going back now." Peter muttered. They took a few more steps, pushing the fur from their faces. Susan felt something wet on her hand, and her heard skipped a beat. She pushed forward, stumbling into empty space, with Peter right behind her.

As their eyes adjusted to the bright morning light, they both took several deep breaths of Narnian air, full of light and magic. They turned to eachother, blinking tears from their eyes.

"We're back!" Peter cried, as Susan launched herself into his arms, laughing and crying all at once.

After several minutes, the siblings began to make their way through the wood, their hands touching all they could reach; flowers, leaves, and beads of dew from the early morning mist. They walked slowly, drinking in the sight of Narnia, before reaching a small, and very familiar clearing.

A lamppost rose from the grass in front of them, the flame burning strong, and the black metal glistening with dew. Peter reached out and touched the lamppost with a smile.

"Its like no time has passed." He whispered. Time. That was always tricky in Narnia. Last time they were away for a year, 1300 had passed in the magical world, although Aslan had told them that time was fluid, and passed very irregularly inbetween worlds. Susan prayed that it had been moving slowly.

"Alright," Peter said, crouching down near a patch of dirt. "We need to make our way to one of the castles. We have no idea how much time has passed, or what the state of things are here, so we need to take the most obvious routes, avoiding rivers." He was already beginning to think like a king again, and had learned the lessons of time changing the landscape last time they were in Narnia. He drew a rough map to the Telmarine castle where they had travelled through the portal. "We must assume that the major settlement, and whoever is now King or Queen, are still based at the Telmarine castle."

The thought of meeting Caspian's children, or even grandchildren made Susan feel ill. To see what kind of life he had built without her, what she had lost..

Peter stood, and began to lead the way into the forest, with his sister trailing behind him, lost in her thoughts.

 **Thanks for reading, don't forget to review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Hi Everyone! Just a short chapter this time. I promise that they will get more interesting and longer as time goes on! Thanks very much to all those who have reviewed; it gets me thinking and helps me a lot! So please, review some more :)**

"We're lost again, aren't we?" Susan chuckled, as she stepped over a large fallen log. They had been wandering through the thick forest, Peter leading, for the last few hours. Susan had noticed that her brother's intense strides had turned into a slow walk, his eyes darting this way and that. Their direction had also changed several times. Peter had not said a word. He knew he was completely, totally and utterly lost. He just didn't want to admit it.

Susan sighed. "Its alright, Peter. We haven't been to this part of Narnia for over a thousand years, it is sure to have changed, just like the other areas."

"I suppose," Peter grimaced, turning to face his sister, "I just feel useless! I used to know the whole of Narnia like the back of my hand, and now I can't even find us a trail to follow!"

He turned around and kicked wildly out at a nearby tree, and was suddenly knocked backwards.

"Do you mind?" shrieked a deep voice. "I was trying to sleep." Peter's eyes snapped open, and he looked up to a figure made completely of leaves. The dryad took the shape of an elderly man, the leaves curling and twisting in the wind. "Don't you know its rude to go around kickin' people?"

Peter dusted himself off as he stood, and gave the man a small bow. "I apologise, master tree." He said. "We are lost, and I was frustrated." The dryad nodded, his shape beginning to waver.

"Master Tree?" Susan called, and the dryad returned to the old man's figure. "Could you please offer us some directions to the Telmarine castle, or wherever the King lives?" The dryad nodded.

"I would prefer to be called Quercus," the dryad said. "And His Majesty King Caspian dwells in Cair Paravel."

Susan's eyes widened at Caspian's name. Could it still be him? Or his son? Or grandson? The Telmarines had a habit of naming their children after themselves. How could she ask subtly?

"Which Caspian? Which number?" Peter blurted out. Susan sighed inwardly with relief. The dryad looked at Peter incredulously.

"A real Narnian you are, sir!" he boomed, "Not even knowing who rules our beautiful land!"

"We've been..away," Peter stuttered, looking at his sister. Susan stepped towards the dryad.

"Quercus, I was once known as Queen Susan the Gentle. If this name means anything to you, please, send us in the right direction." But the dryad's leafed jaw had dropped at the word 'Queen'.

"The Kings and Queens of Old!" he gasped, falling into a deep bow. Susan reached forward and gestured for him to rise. Quercus looked at Peter, and fell into another bow. "Your Majesty, King Peter." He whispered reverently. As he rose, he asked, "But where are King Edmund, and Queen Lucy?"

Susan and Peter glanced at each other again. "We were separated." The dryad looked confused, and Peter quickly took charge again.

"The directions, Quercus?" he asked. The dryad nodded fervently, and his leaves separated, blowing in the wind, moving quickly through the forest. Susan and Peter followed quickly, almost jogging to keep up with the excitable dryad. After keeping up the pace for nearly half an hour, they were surprised to stumble onto a path, a clear road through the woods. The leaves that had been guiding them reformed into Quercus, and he pointed along the road. "I apologise for not being able to take you further, your majesties," he said, "But I can not travel too far from my roots."

Susan smiled at the dryad. "You've been a huge help," she said, curtseying to the dryad, "It was most appreciated." Peter thanked Quercus, and the Pevensies began to trudge along the road. Susan sighed. That was the one thing about being suddenly thrown into Narnia. There was a lot of walking. She looked down at her shoes; the small heels were not made for this kind of terrain. Peter looked at her feet, grimacing. "Your feet must be killing you." He muttered. Susan nodded miserably.

"I have an idea," Peter smiled, and tugged Susan over to a nearby log. He glanced back, seeing Quercus still watching them curiously. He beckoned to the dryad, who fluttered over to them quickly.

"Are you in need of assistance, Your Majesty?" he asked. Peter nodded, and gestured for Susan to remove her shoes. She did so, looking at him curiously.

"Quercus, I know some dryads have some power over shaping wood," he said, and the dryad nodded. Susan looked on, not able to see what her brother was doing. She suddenly heard a crack, and saw something drop to the ground between her brother and the dryad. Another crack and clunk as something else fell.

"Perfect," Peter grinned, and turned to show his sister his handiwork. Quercus had used his strength with wood to expand a sharp stick between the sole of the shoe and the heel, removing the nails and the heel itself. Susan's eyes widened in horror and she leapt up. "Peter! Those are my best shoes! Mother will kill me!" Peter frowned.

"I was just trying to help," he said, as Susan snatched the shoes from him, and strapped them back to her feet. Without the heel, the shoes curved strangely, leaving Susan's toes pointing upwards and outwards.

"When you took them, I thought you were going to use some leaves or moss as padding," she frowned. Peter grimaced. That probably was a smarter idea. "Now I'll have to waddle all the way there like a duck!"

Peter bit back a laugh at this, and Quercus smiled also before adding, "Oh, I also realised I never answered your question before, Your Majesties." Peter and Susan looked at him curiously. "The King that currently rules is King Caspian, the tenth."

Peter looked at Susan, grinning, but was shocked to see her glaring at him.

"Quack Quack?" he giggled.

 **Don't forget to review! Hopefully a longer chapter will be up tomorrow some time :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: Hi everyone, sorry about the delay! Life just got in the way** **Hope you all enjoy, and please review!**

Trufflehunter the badger groaned as he entered the new throne room of Cair Paravel. The entire castle was being rebuilt as per King Caspian's request to resemble the ancient ruling place it once was; or as close as the architects could make it, due to the change in the terrain over the last thousand years. Trufflehunter, a trusted advisor of the King, had been selected to watch over the progress. However, the elderly badger was an expert in all things Narnian, and had researched the old tomes collected by the Telmarines, and used sketches and descriptions to most accurately recreate the majestic room housing the Four Thrones. New additions to the room had been the inclusion of four statues, of the past Kings and Queens, which were currently being completed by a faun carver, and the source of Trufflehunter's dismay.

"Wrong, it's all wrong," the badger muttered, limping quickly over to the faun. The old crossbow wound in his rump still caused him trouble, even after years, and had given him a limp. He pointed at the statue of Queen Susan, shaking his head.

"Her Majesty is a beautiful woman, Ruben, and I can tell you for a fact that she doesn't not indeed have a beak such as this for a nose! Trufflehunter cried, gesturing at the unsightly lump that was the statue of Queen Susan's face. Ruben the faun flinched.

"I am still working on it, my lord," he muttered. Trufflehunter frowned. It was clear the young faun had not seen the Kings and Queens up close during their last visit.

"Please Ruben," he sighed, "Get yourself one of the drawings of Her Majesty from the planning room, to correct this." Ruben nodded.

"Or perhaps a life model?" a gentle voice called from the doorway. Trufflehunter whirled around, his heart full. Could it be? Could they have returned so soon?

Peter and Susan stood in the entrance to the room, surrounded by Glenstorm, the centaur in charge of the royal guard, and his sons. They were smiling happily at the badger, their eyes filled with joy at the sight of their old home being restored.

"Your Majesties!" Trufflehunter cried, dropping into a bow. He winced slightly as the old wound twinged. This did not go unnoticed by Peter, who had swept over to the old badger to help him to his feet.

"How are you, my dear friend?" he asked with a grin.

"Not as young and nimble as I once was," Trufflehunter laughed. "How have you returned, your majesties? I thought you could not?" he stopped. "Not that I am not pleased!"

Susan laughed. "We haven't any idea, Trufflehunter. We just did."

Finally the badger noticed that there were only the two elder Pevensie siblings in the room. "And King Edmund? And Queen Lucy?" he asked.

Peter and Susan glanced at each other. "We were not together when we returned," Peter said slowly. Trufflehunter nodded eagerly.

"Well!" he said, "we simply must catch you up on things!" he gestured for the pair to follow him through another door, leading onto a balcony with a delicate looking table and chairs. He called for a servant, and in a few minutes steaming hot tea was brought to them on a delicate silver tray, along with some warm sliced bread, which Peter and Susan dug into heartily. Trufflehunter watched them carefully before diving into his detailed description of what had happened in the three years since the Pevensies had been away.

Evidently Caspian had been busy, taking his new role as King very seriously. He had taken full control over the Telmarine population of Narnia, and had established peace between his people and the native Narnians, who were now living in tandem throughout the land. New treaties had been made with the neighbouring countries such as Archenland, and trade that had been cut off for hundreds of years had been re-established, providing Narnia with a booming economy. There had been some trouble from Telmar itself, upon hearing what had become of Miraz and his men, which had taken the form of a few skirmishes, but had ultimately quietened down after a particularly savage battle won by Caspian. The peace in Narnia had lasted over a year, and the country was thriving, so Caspian had decided to rebuild Cair Paravel, including building bridges to join the neighbouring rocky outcrops to make a large city, which would develop once the castle was completed. Susan smiled at this. Caspian was always obsessed with the idea of Old Narnia; of course he was going to rebuild Cair Paravel.

Trufflehunter seemed to pause for a moment, so Susan took the opportunity to ask the burning question she had been waiting to ask.

"So, where is Caspian?" she asked, attempting to seem casual by sipping her tea. Peter tried to hide his smile, as he could see the intense look in his sister's eyes. Trufflehunter looked at his Queen.

"Of course! I had not yet finished, your majesty," he quipped. He too could see how curious Susan was; and he remembered well the public kiss that Caspian and the young Queen had shared. "Since the peace has been steady, and King Caspian has no current wife or heir," he paused at this point, his eyes boring into Susan who blushed considerably, "He decided it was time to travel East, and reclaim the Lone Islands. Well, that is the official story." Peter leant forward at this, frowning slightly. Susan's heart sank. She had returned, for who knows how short of a time, and Caspian was not even here? Although she still had to hide the full feeling in her chest that he had not found a bride.

"The official story?" he asked. Trufflehunter nodded.

"In Caspian's father's reign, he had seven Lords on his council whom he trusted completely. When Caspian IX was killed, the Lords fled east. King Caspian has gone to retrieve them."

Peter frowned again. Susan could see her elder brother was not impressed. "Why did he have to go? Surely ensuring Narnia is safe and secure is more important than some old men? Why couldn't he send someone else?"

He and Susan looked at each other. Why would Caspian leave Narnia in potential danger? A year of peace was not a long time. Trufflehunter saw the uncertainty in the rulers.

"I'm sure he had his reasons," Susan said, and Peter nodded, still with a slight frown.

"I still don't like that he left," he replied. Peter turned to Trufflehunter. "Who is in charge?"

Trufflehunter smiled again. "We have a council currently, your majesty," he said, "Made up of several trusted advisors of King Caspian, based at different locations around Narnia. I am a member, as is Trumpkin, Glenstorm, Professor Cornelius and a few others that have joined our ranks since you were last here."

Peter nodded, looking out at the ocean view. The idea of the council was a good one, but he still could not understand why Caspian had left. A Kings one duty was to his kingdom. If you were King, you could not just sail off into the distance on whim, to chase down some forgotten friends of your father.

Susan could see the anger brewing in her brother, and looked at Trufflehunter again with a smile.

"Perhaps you can show us around the renovations?" she asked.

 **Authors Note: Please review! It encourages me to update faster**


End file.
